In a major step towards adopting a scientific approach in the maintenance of forests in state, the Forests and Wildlife Department has prepared GIS atlases on three wildlife divisions in the state.

The scheme to provide a single mapping platform to the five other wildlife divisions will be completed by the month-end, officials said. The department embarked on the Herculean task of preparing GIS atlases on its 11 wildlife divisions and 25 territories in January, 2012. ‘’Master copies of the atlases on Thiruvananthapuram, Thenmala and Punalur divisions have been prepared besides one prepared on Konni division earlier.